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Five Nations of Illigyr
General Location: The lands surrounding the southern half of the Inner Ocean. Racial Mix: Xeph 64% Humans 36% Religious Mix: Three Fold Gods 32% Circle of Light 14% Court of a Thousand Gods 9% Agnostics 25% Aethists 20% Languages: Xilgith, Xalxith, Aozarim Mounts Military Civilian Transport Elephant Elephant Draft Elephant Elephant Basic Architectural Style: Similar to Japanese Shinto architecture, but with reed mesh instead of paper, and high vented ceilings Basic Clothing Style: Long loose tunic/sari Gift and Rest days: Name When Type The Day of Man Middle of the Season of Storms Rest Xemilan's Feast First day of the Season of Storms Holiday Xiltiri's Rescue the last day of the Season of Storms Gift Countries Country Size Location Xendral 6,486,000 The penisula that forms the southwest border of the Inner Ocean. Cirilas 5,838,000 The southern coast of Xendra's Gulf, extending eastward from the mountains north of Lake Xhama to the western coast of Miltani Bay. Xhama 4,541,000 South and west from Lake Xhama between the Cirilas and Birixal borders. Birixal 3,892,000 South from Miltani Bay, east of Lake Xhama to the mountains, and north to the Xhimri River Xiltar 3,243,000 From the Xhimri River in the south to the northern border the Blood River, and Kiralt's Fields under Xalaphel's Finger, bordering the Great Neck Empire. Total: 24,000,000 General Description The Five Nations of Illigyr are the main military opponents of the Great Neck Empire. That nomenclature implies more unity than is actually present - each nation is more of a regional collection of affiliated city-states and small queendoms. However, within each region, the common ties are very strong and the "nations" are quite capable of a unified response to an external threat (like the Great Neck Empire). Xendral is famous for its ships and merchants. Cirilas is famous for its farms. Xhama is famous for the glories of Xhama City, its rural bumpkin farmers, and its mines. Birixal is famous for its crafts. And Xiltar is famous for its infantry. All of the Five Nations are strongly matriarchal; females control all property, business, inheritance, and social promotion. No male can own or run a business, own land, or own or inherit any property of any sort. In the matron's and society's eyes, this makes males suitable for all the leisure activities and all the violent and risky ones. Traditionally men are the artists, the scholars, the priests, the police, the diplomats, the warriors and the warchiefs. The rulers are the matrons, though the King is the one who proclaims the Queen's law, his rank is only due to his relation to the queen. Likewise, what would appear to a patriarchal outsider to be the ruling councils are actually filled with the consorts and husbands of the queen's close friends and advisors. A man has no social status aside from his wife's, and divorce is easy. Nobles are typically bound in Matronages, or Houses. A single matron is in charge of a house, and is expected to conceive and bear a child at least once in her term as matron, which lasts as long as she can claim victory in the house politics. Junior females in a matronage, called housedaughters, are usually caregivers to the elderly and children. Only rarely is a housedaughter ever a mother herself. Ex-matrons and elder females (housesisters) are advisors and wage-earners for the household. Males attached to a matronage are always servants of some sort. The matrons, housesisters, and housedaughters are almost always related by blood. Sometimes two Houses will exchange housedaughters or housesisters, often to reduce internal strife or give a favored child room to grow. Sometimes a small group from one or more houses will bond themselves in matronage, forming a new house. Since a new matronage does not supply any resources, this is a very risky proposition. Commoners form similiar units, but are more open and relaxed in structure. Once males reach puberty, the Houses will no longer care for them (unless they have shown unusual promise and talent). These adolescent boys are delivered to the wide world, preferrably to an organization for apprenticeship (like the army, priesthood, or police). But many become free males without jobs or prospects and with nothing to do but party. Many go "shady" and beome members of organized crime or the Men's Right's movement/rebellion. Illigyr society in general encourages free males to take extreme risks, travel to far away lands, and explore mysterious and dangerous ruins. Occasionally, a free male, expelled from one House, will be adopted by another, but only after they've demonstrated enterprise and competence. Males that remain within a House are often traded, by mutual agreement, between two or more houses to seal (and as) business propositions and political agreements with other houses. Certain expectations are demanded of the housemales, among them the requirement to stay fit and well-groomed, and to perform whatever duties are assigned to them as best they can. Simultaneously, it is generally regarded that the Matrons will see to the care of their housemales, keeping them fed, clothed, and housed to the best of her ability. It is generally considered ill of a Matron who does not properly care for her males; so, unhealthy males in a Matron's matrony is consider a bad sign of the Matron's abilities and competence in affairs. Thus, there is a bit of pressure on the Matron's to be able to show-off her males. In contrast, the females are generally kept within the matrony, but they are allowed the possibility of true independence in that the female may declare independence of the Matron and start her own Matrony. The legal process is lengthy, and can be politically dangerous depending on the relation between the female and the Matron of her old house. While the females are cared for by the Matron (and may even be allowed special services, such as grooming, personal care, companionship, and even occasional sex, from the males) they are not given the attention the males receive for ensuring health, appearance, and personal fitness. In declaring independence, the female may build her matrony using free males, in which case, she will be watched closely and, of course, may suffer some ridicule, depending. Alternatively, the female may receive a sponsorship from her Matron, in which case the Matron allows some of her own males to be traded to the female starting the new matrony. However, such sponsorship is not entirely free, as some agreement of trade, business, or alliance is formed between the new matrony and the existing Matron. It is also possible for a female to declare independence from the Matron but not actually start a matrony of her own. However, in making this choice, the female is generally not allowed to at a later time to start her own matrony as long as the original Matron is still alive. A free female does not carry the stigma of a free male; however, it is not unusual for a free female to experience some pressure or ridicule from certain uncouth Matrons and non-free females, and some free females band together in loose "Alliance Houses" of their own. A free male is shunned because he is thought of as "bad goods". Having such males around in mass is considered very bad for the society as a whole by the Matrons, because it pollutes the society with discontent and unnecessary burden of caring for unwanted males. A similar attitude is taken towards free females to a much lesser extent, though "allied females" are greeted with less hostility. Runaway males are considered with very little regard, and have very little recourse except to flee the country, or join the Men's rebellion. They are not generally pursued by the Matrons unless they possess some critical skill or information. Having a runaway male is still a serious issue for a Matron, for it directly speaks to her ability to manage her house well, and can be used against her. So while they may not be pursued, a Matron will often taken (and seek to create) an opportunity to correct whatever problem drove the male away, and convince the runaway to return. When a Matron dies, she needs to have named a successor to whom all her possessions, property, and males may be bequeathed. If the Matron has not named a successor, the housesisters either decide to divide the matrony among themselves, or to even elect a new Matron to head the matrony. But if no housesisters remain, the state will seize the entire matrony, and auction off its assets to pay any taxes owed. Naming Traditions Females of noble houses mark their matronym with the "jin" prefix, if a normal member, or "rel" if they are the Head-of-House. Patronyms, if given at all, are marked with a "sul" prefix. Males of noble blood mark their house with "ran" before the matronym. So you have Cilsha jin Sahuka, Miltiri yen Sahuka sul Makt, and Makt ran Sahuka. Commoners do not normally distinguish male and female forms of the names. Unless they are being formal, complimentary, or sarcastic, when they use the "ran" form for males. Heads of House are always distinguished from normal members, and are always female. Sometimes the patronym is replaced with an honorific or descriptor. So you have Yeiri rel Miachi, Head of House Miachi, Jila lan Miachi fal Fralak, and Fralak lan Miachi the Strong. Marriage Traditions In the Illigyr nations, the permanent binding of a female to a male is very uncommon. This is the only form actually called a marriage. Marriages are usually between a single man and a single woman, but polyandry is not uncommon. Slightly more common are partnerships, often between two or three females, but also frequently between a single male/female pair. The formation of a partnership is often a business, as well as a romantic decision. Males in a romantic partnership are usually called husbands, or consorts otherwise. Partnerships are the most common form among the middle-class. More common yet, and found in all strata of society are Communes. A commune is composed of multiple females to a much smaller (possibly even zero) number of males. Communes are almost invariably a business and practical decision, and males are generally exclusively sexually involved with multiple members of the commune. Males in a commune are usually only temporary residents; only rarely do they become permanent members of a commune. A commune's males are called consorts, never husbands, even if the arrangement becomes permanent. Uncommon except among the noble class, but still considered the archetypal form of marriage, is the Matronage. The matronage is a bond between women only; consort males are used for breeding purposes or servants, and overwhelmingly the latter. History and Other Notes In the distant past, the Five Nations of Illigyr, Khara, and the Xalar Empire were all provinces of the great Ancient Xemil Empire, the largest empire the world has ever seen. It even controlled the western shore of the Great Sea. When its size caused it to split in two, the eastern portion became the Xalar Empire. The Xalar Empire continued to deal with the Republic and the Great Neck Empire, but when it lost its eastern shore territory, and forced back over the Coastal Mountains, the Five Nations used Xalar's weakness to revolt and break away in 138 BCE. By the time the Great Neck Empire had consolidated its holdings, the new nations were strong enough to resist its conquest. While initially much less extreme in its matriarchal form, the Five Nations' struggle with the Great Neck Empire has exaggerated their tendencies to the reality described above. Xiltar has the most extreme matriarchy, while Xendra the least. Recent Events Star Crystal Negotiations Illigyr has agreed to the treaty modifications regarding the Star Crystals, as has Xalar. Negotiations with the Great Neck Empire have not yet begun. Category: Setting Category: Cultures